February 10th, Year 64, Konoha Cemetery
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"It wasn't your fault, Kakashi," Minato sensei's voice reached my ears, attempting to reassure me once again.
But how could I believe his words when my friend's eye was forever embedded in my own, while his lifeless body lay buried beneath the earth... Lost to us.
I felt Minato sensei's hand gently squeeze my shoulder, offering support in his own way.
"Will I keep losing people like this? When will it end?" I asked, the pain in my heart threatening to tear me apart.
There was a moment of silence before Minato sensei spoke, his voice filled with wisdom and emotion.
"We all have to face the inevitability of death, Kakashi. It's a risk we bear as shinobi. But precisely because we are shinobi, we fight until the end to protect those who are precious to us."
"What if there's nothing left for us to protect?" I asked, my voice filled with anguish and despair.
Minato sensei ruffled my hair gently, a gesture that felt both comforting and bittersweet. Then, he spoke words that resonated deep within me.
"You felt the need to protect your teammates because they felt the same way about you. Obito entrusted you with his eyes so that you could carry on in his place. He would want you to live your life to the fullest. We always find someone or something precious to live for, Kakashi. And if nothing else, know that you are precious to me."
He didn't say anything more, standing there with me for a while before he had to leave to meet the Third Hokage. I remember that they were going to talk about sensei's inauguration as the 4th Hokage.
I was happy for my sensei. But still the death of my friends kept haunting me.
I remained there, contemplating his words. Did I still have something worth living for? I muttered to Obito's grave, haunted by the memory of his final moments.
'Kakashi... Take Rin away from here... It's okay,' his voice echoed in my mind. He had trusted me to keep her safe, and I had failed.
Rin… A girl who became more than a teammate to me… And I killed her with my own…
I know that the circumstances forced me… But… I could still see her blood soaking my hand…
How could I live with myself? How could I deserve to live when I couldn't fulfill my friend's last wish? How could I deserve to live when I caused the death of my friend….
As my thoughts spiraled, faces of those dear to me flashed before my eyes—from Rin to Obito, from Minato sensei to Kushina, from my father to many others that I got acquainted with time.
They were my precious people, yet so many of them were gone.
But there were still some who remained by my side. I didn't know if I could protect them or not… But I will give it my all… I will not let Obito's sacrifice go to waste… I will not let his last gift to me go to waste.
My Sharingan reacted to my desire. With my Sharingan ablaze, I made a solemn vow to Obito's resting place.
"I promise... I will keep them safe. I will do my best to not waste your sacrifice… Forgive me, Obito but I will try to live the fullest."
Having made my decision, I turned away, determined to carry out my promise.…
…
I was walking aimlessly through the village, looking at the faces of the celebrating villagers as the news of the war ending and Konoha's supposed victory was a reason for celebration.
I wished my teammates could be here to see the celebrations they fought so hard and gave their lives to achieve.
Looking around and trying to see if the festive moods would rub on myself, I heard someone shouting from the side,
"Shut up! You troublesome Uchiha!"
Hearing the name Uchiha my eyes instantly tried to find where the sound came from.
And I located two kids and an old woman trying to store away boxes?
Intrigued by the sight I decided to get closer.
…
The old woman seemed to be the store owner of a sweets store, and she had received a new shipment of ingredients. She was getting help from the two kids to store the boxes. One of the kids, a little boy with medium-length raven black hair and a Jinbei outfit, was grumbling while doing most of the work. The other kid, a petite girl with long black hair, watched him with mirth in her eyes.
"Please tell me why am I the only one helping?" the boy grumbled.
The girl put a hand before her mouth and replied in a flat tone, "I thought you were a gentleman, Kuro-san. My mother told me that gentlemen didn't let ladies do labor work."
The old woman nodded and patted the little girl, confirming her statement. It seemed that the boy's name was Kuro, and I made a mental note of it. Despite his complaints, he wholeheartedly helped the store owner, while the little girl eventually joined in after teasing him a bit.
After some time, the old lady expressed her gratitude and offered them some sweets, which they gratefully accepted.
I continued to observe them, finding the pair intriguing and having nothing better to do. As they moved through the village, I noticed that many shopkeepers and elderly people greeted them as if they had known each other for a while. Some even offered them candies or food.
Although the boy kept grumbling, it appeared that he was well-liked. They came across another shop that needed help with some delivery, and this time it was the boy who approached first, causing the little girl to smile.
"You know, you're a big softie, right Kuro-san?" she asked, her smile evident.
"Sue me! Now go away and let me deliver this so I can take a nap," he replied, sounding flustered by her comment.
"What does 'sue' mean, Kuro-san?" the girl asked, only to be ignored as they made their way to the outskirts of the village with a parcel in hand.
I continued to follow them from a distance, intrigued by the peculiarities I had noticed in the boy's chakra. Activating my Sharingan, I closely observed him and was taken aback by what I saw. While he appeared like any other child on the surface, his chakra was already unlocked and was constantly in motion, as if he were using a jutsu continuously, yet there was no visible external flow.
I couldn't quite grasp what was happening, but I kept a watchful eye on the pair. They completed their delivery quest and received much praise from the client.
They then bought some barbeque sticks and made their way through the village, they eventually arrived at a clearing near the outskirts before sitting down near a pond.
It was there that the girl, wearing a serious expression, innocently inquired, "It's too bad that we can't go to the spot anymore. Will Benny be okay?"
The boy, munching on a stick of barbecue, replied nonchalantly, "I'm pretty sure Benny will be fine, and I'll still go there from time to time. That place is the best for taking naps, after all."
Shaking her head, a small smile tugging at her lips, the girl suggested, "So where should we hang out from now on, Kuro-san?"
"Who said I want to hang out with you? You troublesome girl..." the boy muttered, though his words seemed to lack any seriousness.
Unfazed, the girl proposed with anticipation, "I know! We can go to the woods behind the Hokage mountain, you know, the one on the eastern part of the village."
However, the boy appeared somewhat apprehensive, prompting him to ask, "Why do you want to go there?"
"Because, I saw you going that way, and thought that your home was near there, and as you are so reluctant to move all the time, I thought a place near your house would be good! And I noticed that not many people go to that part of the village," the girl explained, her reasoning laced with logic.
The boy sighed and responded, "That's because that part of the village, the forest, is a restricted area..."
"Really?" the girl exclaimed in wonder.
"Yes, it belongs to the Nara Clan. They breed and take care of their deer herd there," the boy elaborated.
Disappointment tinged the girl's voice as she asked, "So, we can't go there?"
"I never said that," the boy retorted.
Both the girl and I fixed our gazes on the boy, waiting for him to continue. By now, I had already deduced his identity, but I wanted to hear more.
"I will get permission for you... It's just gonna be a drag," the boy replied, his tone indicating a hint of exasperation.
The girl tilted her head, seeking clarification, to which the boy responded, "Sigh... It's just that I'm sure my mother will make a fuss when I bring up letting you play in our backyard. It's gonna give her so much ammo to fire at me… What a drag…"
A look of realization crossed the girl's face as she asked, "So Kuro-san is from the Nara Clan? Is your full name Nara Kuro?"
It seemed that the boy had never revealed his full name to the girl before. He averted his gaze, appearing a little embarrassed, and reluctantly admitted, "Troublesome... Not really, my full name is actually Nara Shikakuro, but everyone just calls me Kuro… and I am kind of, sort of, maybe the heir to the Nara Clan."
The girl was taken aback for a moment, but she swiftly accepted this revelation.
"So we are both heirs to our clans, huh?" she innocently asked, causing the boy to recoil slightly.
"Umm, what did you say?" he asked, clearly taken aback.
"Oh, I am also the heiress to the Uchiha Clan... I think? My father is the Clan head, and before him, my grandfather was the Clan head," she explained.
Upon hearing this, a range of emotions played across the boy's face, eventually settling into acceptance tinged with a hint of nervousness. He muttered something along the lines of, "Stupid alternate universe."
I noted away that phrase as I wasn't sure what alternate universe meant. But I can always look into it later.
They continued to chat, discussing mundane matters and training. The girl expressed her desire for the boy to train with her, but he initially refused, claiming it was too much work. However, the girl managed to persuade him to at least accompany her during her training.
As the clock neared 4 PM, the girl bid her farewell and left the boy alone in the clearing. It seemed like a suitable time for me to depart as well. However, as I attempted to use my body flicker technique, I suddenly found myself frozen in place, as if trapped in a dreadful genjutsu. My body was gradually ensnared by a dark substance that I realized was my own shadow. Opening my Sharingan to its fullest extent, I surveyed my surroundings, only to discover that the boy, who had been standing far away moments ago, was now standing right in front of me with cold eyes.
"What are you doing here? Are you some sort of spy? Why were you spying on Izuna and I? Speak, old man," the boy practically growled.
Though my body was immobilized, I managed to move my mouth and hastily replied, "My name is Hatake Kakashi, I am a Jōnin of Konoha. I wasn't spying; I simply found you and the girl interesting and was merely observing."
I spoke the truth while my back was soaked with cold sweat, as I had already surmised that the boy before me, Nara Shikakuro, was far from ordinary.
The boy appeared to relax as I spoke, finally taking in my appearance before nodding. He released his hold on me and said, "Sigh... You are really troublesome... Now you know my secret... If you were a spy, it would've been easier..."
Hearing that I felt goosebumps on my skin as I knew what he indicated.
He seemed to contemplate for a bit before Sighing, "Can I at least ask you not to tell anyone about this? I know you are duty-bound to report to the Hokage, and I won't stop you there since the old man already knows. But can you keep this a secret from others?"
He asked, clearly annoyed, to which I agreed, understanding the reason for his request.
The boy let out a sigh and patted my arm, urging me, "Please don't spy on us like that again. I actually noticed you from miles away, and the only reason I didn't take action earlier was because of Izuna.
If you had done anything to harm her or a member of my family, I wouldn't have hesitated to drown you in my shadows. Whether you're a Jōnin of Konoha or a missing-nin of Kiri, it wouldn't have mattered to me."
I could feel the weight of his threat as I continued to meet his gaze, his eyes resembling cold, bottomless voids.
But as soon as he finished his warning, his eyes softened, becoming lazy and tired. He added, "Well, see you around, Senpai... By the way, your dad was really cool. He's one of my heroes! Goodbye."
With that, he vanished into his own shadows.
I stood there for about ten minutes, still processing the encounter, before finally exhaling in relief. His last comment about my father was interesting at least…
Then, I hurriedly made my way to my sensei's location, knowing that he would be at home at this hour.
After all, the Nara heir did mention that I could inform the Hokage about himself—he just didn't specify whether it had to be the past or future Hokage.
A faint smile crept beneath my mask as I knew that my sensei was going to become the Fourth Hokage, and the official announcement would be made by the end of the week. So basically I wasn't betraying his request… Technically.
Well at the end it didn't matter, as he was a part of Konoha and would sooner or later have to show what he can do to everyone.
Even that Uchiha girl seemed interesting, being the heiress to the clan and all.
"It seems that the village will get some truly interesting ninjas in the future…" I smirked as I flickered away.
…
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Lumi- Just building up the characters and the world around Kuro. And a little glimpse on his personality, strength and philosophy through these chapters.
And the hell the chapters are turning out over 2.4k words... Sigh...
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